BRT in Bari: Here's a map of the new parking lots, starting with Carrassi and S. Pasquale.

Bari: The BRT, but not only that. Numerous projects are set to transform the face of the city. Just think of the pedestrianization of Piazza Moro, already underway, or the imminent one on Via Manzoni. The redevelopment of Piazza Umberto, or the planned interventions on Via Argiro and Via Amendola. These wide-ranging projects have exponentially increased the level of attention paid to parking, already a widespread concern in the capital, which is "saturated" in this regard in many areas. It's no coincidence that garages, parking spaces, and, in general, the rental or sale of paid spaces, are becoming the business of the present and immediate future: the few available opportunities are reaching exorbitant prices.

THE "DOUBLE STUDY" The city administration is aware of a critical issue that will inevitably become more pressing: major construction projects will result in the loss of approximately 2,500 parking spaces in the city. For this reason, last December, the Councilor for Land Management, Domenico Scaramuzzi, commissioned two studies on the issue. The first is the actual new parking plan envisioned for Bari: it will have a longer implementation period and will include innovative solutions tailored to users and residents. Underground, multi-story parking garages could be reconsidered, with potentially significant improvements. This project aims to be a solution, but it cannot be completed quickly.

The second study, however, concerns a targeted parking plan for zones and subzones in each neighborhood, with immediately implementable solutions. The final framework should be finalized by the planners by the end of 2025, but many ideas will see the light of day sooner, precisely because they dovetail with the planned BRT works. In this case, therefore, the goal is to intervene promptly to recover at least the majority of the parking spaces that will be lost, compensating for them in areas adjacent to the lost parking spaces.

SPOTLIGHT ON MUNICIPALITY 2 It's no secret that the neighborhoods within Municipio 2 are currently the most affected by the arrival of the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), which will completely transform the face of public transportation in the city. Its four lines will connect the city using sustainable, green, and fully electric methods. The purple route, in particular, will require the sacrifice of parking spaces on streets currently densely populated with both residential and commercial businesses, which are a key hub, especially for Carrassi and San Pasquale. Just think of how many parking spaces will be allocated for buses on Corso Benedetto Croce, Via Papa Giovanni XXIII, or Via Don Luigi Sturzo.

The city's planners are focusing on these areas to find solutions that can be implemented by the fall, considering microzones with parking options within a maximum of 300 meters, allowing residents or businesses who lose their "street parking" to reclaim it with minimal travel. Therefore, on each block, an alternative solution will be sought in the immediate vicinity. Unused spaces are the first focus: they have already been identified on Via Di Vittorio, at the intersection of Via Giovanni XXIII and Via Concilio Vaticano, as well as on Via Giuseppe Solarino. Here, in particular, the city is working to secure a large area to be expropriated in the long term, but made available for parking immediately. Similarly, discussions are underway with Amtab to free up and make accessible the top two floors of the Polipark on Viale Orazio Flacco. Furthermore, the bus lane will disappear on this street, freeing up an entire side of the road for parking. Another sensitive micro-zone will be Via Giulio Petroni: currently, the final stretches of the street (both towards Via Sabotino and towards Carbonara) are not designated for parking, but will be accommodated by the creation of new spaces. Finally, Largo Nitti is expected to be converted to a herringbone parking system.

A comprehensive plan, therefore, that should lead to the redevelopment of several hundred parking spaces within a square kilometer. The next step should include a detailed presentation of the program to residents, neighborhood by neighborhood: Carrassi and San Pasquale, given the progress of the studied solutions, could be among the first to be involved.